FBI Congratulates Director’s Award Recipient

FBI Congratulates Director’s Award Recipient

The Federal Bureau of Investigation selected Mr. Jonathan Zur, President and CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC), as the 2016 Director’s Community Leadership Award recipient for the Hampton Roads region. On Monday at the Norfolk Field Office, Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Jonathan Trimble and ASAC Alan Kohler presented Mr. Zur with a certificate of congratulations. An official award ceremony is scheduled for April 28, 2017 in Washington, DC where FBI Director James Comey will personally present Mr. Zur and others with the award.

VCIC is an organization that works with schools, businesses, and communities to achieve success through inclusion. Under Mr. Zur’s leadership, VCIC increased the number of programs delivered annually by over 600%, reaching over 19 thousand people in 2016 alone. The organization has been recognized locally and nationally for its effectiveness by groups including the Virginia General Assembly, Diversity Richmond, GreatNonprofits, the Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond, Partnership for the Future, the Urban League of Hampton Roads, and the Valentine Museum.

As an experienced facilitator and consultant on issues of diversity and inclusion, Mr. Zur has been a selected presenter at a number of international, national, and statewide conferences. His program work with VCIC is noted in the book No COLORS: 100 Ways to Stop Gangs from Taking Away Our Communities as “the best … in the nation for sowing the seeds of non-violence, inclusiveness, and understanding in a high school.”

Since 2003, Mr. Zur has supported a variety of organizations in the community to ensure every person is included and to mitigate issues related to prejudice, intolerance, and fear. As a result of his leadership and VCIC’s effectiveness, there has been a 74% decrease in discipline referrals at a participating middle school within one year and a 45% decrease in suspension rates in a participating school division in a time span of five years.